WHEAT DUTY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18617, 12 July 1930, Page 19

WHEAT DUTY

AGITATION FOR REMOVAL. SOUTH CANTERBURY FARMERS PERTURBED. The agitation which is at present rife in the North Island for the removal of the sliding grade of duties on wheat, was the subject of some remarks by Mr P. R. Talbot, president of the Timaru-St. Andrews branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, yesterday. Mr Talbot said that North Island merchants had worked up a terrible fever in connection with this matter. There seemed to be decided opposition in the North to the maintenance of these duties, and he was of opinion that if they did not got busy they would have a job to preserve the present duty on wheat. The Prime Minister was with the wheat-growers, but a telegram had just come to hand to the effect that this question was to be raised from the floor of the House. It would have been raised before this but for the death of the late Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. The propaganda that was going on was very bitter. He had noticed a report in a newspaper that a produce merchant had stated that the existence of the wheat duty represented an extra 2?*d on the loaf of bread. “The man who is at the back of the present agitation is Mr W. D. Hunt,” alleged Mr Talbot, “and of course the merchants are up against us because we are trading direct with the farmers in the North Island. This question was brought up in a different light at the Dominion Conference of the Farmers’ Union. They urged the removal of duties on stock food, and this phase of the question was being pressed by the ‘Exporter,’ in which it was stated that the removal of duties on stock food would go a long way towards solving the unemployment question. It would be seen that they apparently are keeping right away from the wheat duty question as much as they can, and they have only mentioned wheat once when they say that if the duty on stock food is removed there will be a boom in the poultry industry. A most amusing incident occurred during a recent address by Mr Hunt, during which he spoke of the benefit that the removal of the duty on stock foods would 'have on the price*of eggs. Mr Barnett asked Mr Hunt what was the ruling price of eggs, and Mr Hunt had to confess he did not know. He is working this thing absolutely to death at the present time, and he carries a great deal of weight with the Government. Mr Burnett is working for us, and I have, to interview him on Monday. We will have to go through our fight for the retention of the duty again. I just want to let you know exactly how things are. The commercial people in South Canterbury are working with us. The remit before the Dominion Conference for the removal of the duty on wheat was withdrawn, and the address delivered by Mr Mulholland before the Conference had convinced many of the necessity of the duty. Mr H. M. Rushworth, M.P., who had advocated the removal of the duty, said, after Mr Mulholland had spoken, that he was pleased with his statement.”

Mr P. Talbot said the Taranaki farmers had supported local farmers, and had stated that they had bought wheat from local producers through their dairy companies at two shillings a bushel less than they were paying when buying from North Island merchants.

Mr Black said there was a strong agitation going on in Auckland, but he thought if they got into touch with the farmers in the North and enlightened them as to the true position, they would get their support.

Mr Talbot said that Mr Wilkinson, M.P., who was chairman of the Wheat Commission last year, had complimented the Canterbury people on the evidence they gave before that Commission, but now he had turned right round. A resolution was carried that Mr Mulholland be asked to vis' : t the North Island, and place the true facts before the farmers there.